the holes are drilled, inletting the trigger well .... progress notes on the "plywood gun" ....

when last we met on this topic i was a bit stymied, as i could not find someone to drill or mill the various holes in my plywood receiver, ... , necessary for the placement of other parts, such as the trigger group, etc.  i think it was because some people were worried that to do so might constitute the"manufacture" of a gun, and get them into trouble with the a.t.f.  ("alcohol, firearms and tobacco," of the "justice" dept.)  (gotta pay the license fee, the taxes and make the proper applications  ...  that sort of thing.)

my project just sat, as i could not locate a good drill press, nor afford to buy one, new or used, so that i could finish this aspect of the project by myself.

well, one day my older brother comes a visiting, and i have my little project on the kitchen table.   what's that, he says, and so i tell him.  and, then i told him i needed a drill press to drill my own holes, explaining the above.   well, i've got one down at the shop, he says.   i said, dad's old blacksmith drill press, that thing's got more wobbles than you do.

he said, nope, there is a smaller one, and it is a quality machine.   i didn't remember it from my youth, but, there are lots of things i don't remember, ... , like the last time we had a democratic president who wasn't a raving lunatic or a sex offender.

be that as it may, soon we were off, and down to the old shop where dad plied his trade as a blacksmith for a good many years.   into the shop we go, and dodging cobwebs, pigeon droppings and litter from when the roof was repaired after a small fire, we dug our way to the front door, and their stood a drill press under the grime and dirt of years.  we got it up and running, and the chuck was dead nuts smooth, and no vibrations anywhere.   and, loo & behold!!, there is a small vise on the floor beneath it.

to the hardware store, and a small drill index w/ all the bit sizes i needed.  $34.95 gets added to the cost.

so, yesterday afternoon i cleaned the mess around the drill press, got the vise oiled up so that it worked again, and set about drilling my holes.

caption:  there it is.  the location of the upper receiver is correct, as the magazine well matches just so an abutment in the upper receiver.  check.   and, with a little file work and the like, the assembly pins are in the assembly pin holes in the lower, and the pins go through the holes in the upper receiver lug.  it sits the lower receiver just right.

it took some "rubbing" to do all that.

calamity.   just utter calamity.  not enough light.   the little punch marks i made w/ the tungsten carbide scribe weren't big enough to center the small bits for the pilot holes.   and, worst of all, the stainless steel cladding began to de-laminate on the side opposite from the entry of the bit into the piece, when the bit put pressure on the steel from the inside.

but, i soldiered on, figuring that i would learn enough from the whole misadventure to make the next attempt just so much easier, and better.  you see, i am determined to make a plywood lower receiver work.

so, last night i looked at the whole mess, the plug with holes obviously off center, and the plug and the stainless cladding lying in separate little piles, as if to mock me.

i almost gave it up.   but, after a sandwich and some leftover potatoes, i went down stairs, and got the tools for "hand fitting," and went after the whole mess with files, and little sections of steel rod that i had collected to be "pins" in the finished product.

the result is not pretty.   but, it may work.  for, as luck would have it, the two holes that i did manage to drill more or less straight and true, and more or less in the proper location, were the two holes most critical to the outcome of the whole project.   the hammer pin hole is not too bad, and the trigger pin hole, while not good, doesn't appear horrible.  in short, i may be able to get a good sear engagement between the hammer and trigger when i slap them in there.   maybe.   we'll see.

caption:  if you look at the rear assembly pin hole, the hole to the end of the receiver on the right, you will see the magnitude of my error, in drilling this hole.  somehow, the drill bit exited the cladding just about 1/2 a diameter off.   i am not kidding you, it took some work to get it right, and to make the upper and the lower "match" on the proper centerlines.

you can work wonder with the proper assortment of cuss words.  (no children or animals were harmed, offended, corrupted or ruined in the performance of these labors.)

and, yes, the two smaller pins with the copper wash sticking out the side of the lower, are more or less in the correct place, and more or less plumb.   and, as luck would have it, the hammer pin hole is not too badly placed, at all.   not bad for an amateur.

even if not perfect, i think a little "dressing up" of the subject parts may get a safe, reliable and functioning sear unit.  maybe.   we'll see.

caption:   this is a view of the right side of the receiver.   look to the left (the rear of the receiver), and you can see the rear assembly pin hole.  this is the side where i initiated the drilling.

you can see this hole is off, as well.   but, not like the corresponding hole on the left (other) side of the receiver.  quite frankly, i am at something of a loss to explain how the drill bit got so far off track as to be able to make the hole on the far side, where it was located.  (yes, i know that "i" did it, and that the "drill bit" did not do it, it just went where it was steered.   but, i still have no idea how the "drill bit" got so far off course.   so, there!!)

this morning i finished off mortising the trigger finger well.   

and, i also took the initial steps to mounting the handle to the receiver, drilling holes for the pins that i will use to secure the grip along with some magic epoxy.   finishing that will take a pretty large amount of filing, rasping and other work, to true and fair it up, but that will be pretty low pressure and low key compared to the rest of the project.

caption:  mortising the trigger well.   it went, well, without incident, and, more or less where it was supposed to.   how the hell did that happen?  laughing.

caption:  the handle will be affixed in a day or so, by simply epoxying the thing into place.   looks a bit like a broom handled mauser, or an astra 600, doesn't it?

i've got some more work to do, but, that will wait until i see if i can get a trigger group to install, and work, as it is supposed to.

as usual, i'll keep you posted.

john jay @ 01.23.2013

Related articles

"progress" notes on the plywood gun .... all dressed up, and no place to go .... frustrating as hell ....

How To Drill Holes Into Stones Or Glass

Comments

[rightwingterrorist]

I'm getting excited!

[john jay]

right wing:

well, let's see if i can make it work.

if i build another, i know now what i've done wrong. (i built the thing "backwards" basically, e.g., in the wrong order of fitment and such.)

but, it is kind of interesting to see if i can get it to work even after doing everything bass ackwards, so to speak.

john jay

p.s. thanks for the read, and thanks for the comment.

[john jay]

friends:

i've been doing a little reading on drills/drill bits and mills/end mill bits, etc.

a drill press ain't gonna cut it for want i want. not without endless hours of coaxing the product into rough "compliance" with an acceptable end product.

gonna have to get a mill for the tolerances i want. just gonna have to "man up," sell some stuff, do without some stuff, get used to lots and lots and lots and lots of oat meal, and get a little mill.

and, some mill bits. and, center bits.

that's all there is to it. drill bits just go all over everywhere. "walk about," is a pretty good term here.

john jay

[Leigh]

John

Did you rough up the back side of the stainless, so that the epoxy would get a good purchase? A good course sand blasting would probably work best. Though a D/A sander with 36 grit might be just as good.
The problem with drilling SS is it work hardens - that is, the metal actually gets harder as you drill it. Sharp tooling and good cutting fluid are absolutely essential.
I know it wouldn't be aesthetically pleasing, but have you considered using through bolts to hold the cladding to the laminate? Strategically placed sex-bolts would lend strength, while not detract too much from the looks. Socket head cap screws, of the correct size- with an acorn nut, could possibly take the place of some of the pins as well.
I'm really looking forward to the function test.

Leigh
Whitehall, NY

[john jay]

leigh:

well, let me see. i'll just reply question by question.--

rough up stainless. yes, i sanded the stainless before application of the epoxy, a brand called dev con, i believe. i think it might have been o.k., but, i did not apply enough pressure to it as it cured. and, when i drilled, it was the side "opposite entry" the de-laminated, from the pressure of the drill.

sharp tools. i used new "cobalt" drill bits, but, the bits just walked on the opposite side as i drilled. not good!!!

through bolts. yes, i endorse and "accept" this idea. i was going to/will use through bolts for the various pins, and i will add some to the front and back of the receiver.

it will give things a sort of "frankenstein" appearance, but, i don't care. and, for years, machine guns have been held together with bolts. since my receiver is "squarish" as opposed to "roundish," i think it will look appropriate, in an odd sort of way.

socket head caps, i think, as i can source them locally quite easily.

function test. everybody thinks it will "blow up." not a chance.

but, it may de-lam. we'll see, but, i think it will hold together. everybody forgets the strength of wood. it's pretty amazing stuff.

nature's "carbon fiber," when you get down to it. (o.k., maybe not quite as strong as real carbon fiber, but, it is stronger than steel by weight.)

thanks for the read, and thanks for the suggestions.

john

p.s. i've been reading up on epoxies, and the e-6000 series sounds interesting to me. i've got to see if i can source it here, though we do have ace hardware which is supposed to carry it.

[Leigh]

John

I have no doubts she'll run just fine, once you get it sorted out. No worries on strength either; if they can make lowers out of recycled milk jugs, then I wouldn't worry a bit about yours.

All the places I have ever seen selling 80% receivers and jigs advise against drilling through from one side - just because of drill walk. A straight flute, solid-carbide drill might be up to the task. Then finish the hole to final size with a chucking reamer.

I hope I'm not coming off like I'm telling you, your business. I'm just enthusiastic about this project. I have an idea for making your assembly using a jig, if you are interested. Just let me know at the address in the comment form. I'll work up my idea, and present it to you Monday - if you would like.

Look forward to seeing her go bang!

Leigh
Whitehall, NY

[john jay]

leigh:

"tell" away. i am always receptive to information on how to do things, especially when it concerns subjects that i don't know much about.

i am learning first hand about "drill walk," however, and it would be nice to know how to drill a nice straight hole through laminated material.

i like you enthusiasm.

just leave an email address for me ... i'll delete it from the comments, and then contact you.

i am reluctant to print my email address on a public place like the comment forum.

john

[Leigh]

John

I thought that my email would have been visible to you already? I guess I'm confused as to the purpose of submitting it in the comment form. Just so long as this gets scrubbed off fairly quickly - I get enough spam......>>

Talk to you soon.

Leigh
Whitehall, NY

[john jay]

leigh:

i went to my email, i search the personal file, and the other files.

i even went through my facebook and linkedin notices, and saw nothing from you.

(i never look at the damn thing, i've not figured out what in the hell they are about, except a place to show all the pictures your kids won't look at.)

i would respond, if i knew your email address.

john

p.s. i get enough crank and spam mail as it is, without publishing mine.

[Leigh]

John

I don't know what happened, I posted my address yesterday. I think the site scrubbed it off before it got to you. So we'll try it again.
Lets see if the IT weenies thought of this:

Lima Golf Hotel, Alfa Tango, duramill, Delta Oscar Tango, Charlie Oscar Mike.
I think you should be able to figure that out easy enough. :)

Yeah, I have no use for Fake-book myself. I sure as hell won't let my kids get on there either! I've been invited to LinkedIn, but I'm not quite sure of the value of it.
I do understand your desire for PERSEC and privacy. I share those feelings, myself.

Leigh
Whitehall, NY

[john jay]

leigh:

got it. i've make the initial "cipher," and will try in a bit.

i am going to "unpublish" the comment, but, i've got it archived.

should be contacting you in the next day or so. errands, bill paying, walking to take care of this day. and, the usual massacre session w/ the guitar tonight.

john

[Leigh]

John

Excellent. I look forward to it.

Leigh